LAST night, in my dream, I met the most peculiar being. He was a big, pink, animated thing with four tree-trunk legs and a brown paper-bag over his head.

Curiosity got the better of me so I asked him instantly, "Dear elephant, why do you hide?"

And the elephant replied, "I'm huge and I'm pink, It's silly, don't you think?"

So I said, "Would you please take that paper-bag off your head."

"Oh no, really, I can't," he said.

I continued my questions, and beside him I sat. "But isn't it hard to breathe under that?"

The elephant answered, "Oh yes, it is quite. But I have to, you see, I'm an awful sight."

I pleaded, "Please elephant, come out of that bag. Or you won't be able to breathe, I assure you of that."

To this he replied, "How can you expect me to come out when my trunk is an overgrown snout? My ears are two big, droopy fans. It's hideous, you see I can't let the world know that I am this ugly."

I protested this. "It's a natural thing. You are simply a beautiful, unique being."

So he poked out his trunk, and it stretched to the ground. Then he raised it to the sky with a gleeful sound.

"I can smell the fresh air!" he did shout, "I think I could love my overgrown snout."

Then he sighed, "If only I could see those I now smell . . ."

And I begged, "Please come out of that paper-bag shell."

With his trunk he tore two little holes for his eyes. Then exclaimed, "What a beautiful world, oh my! If only I could hear the sounds of what I see . . ."

"You could," I said, "If only you'd listen to me. That paper-bag muffles the sounds that you hear. Take off your mask, the sounds would be clear."

"But won't they laugh at my big funny ears?"

"Why would they laugh, it's not funny at all. Tear off that paper-bag, let it fall."

With this said, he did. Then he gave me a smile.

"I've been missing this beautiful world all the while!"

It was then I woke up and got up from my bed.

Now I'm ready to take my own paper-bag off my head.

Emily, 24, graduated from UP Diliman with a degree in English, majoring in Creative Writing.